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Pasquale seeks better effort from bullpen
By JON MOFFETT
Youngstown
All Rich Pasquale is asking for from his baseball team is a little relief.
For three out of the past four games, the Youngstown State bullpen has provided more offense for its opponents than peace of mind for Pasquale.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s frustrating,” Pasquale said. “But I know those pitchers are being taught the right way, and I know it’s going to come. It’s just a matter of those young arms trusting their stuff.”
Their stuff hasn’t been the best as of late. In a game against Canisius on March 31 at Cene Park, the YSU bullpen gave up eight runs in the top of the ninth inning.
The Penguins (12-12) trailed 8-4 prior to that, but the bevy of surrendered runs was still disheartening for Pasquale.
More recently, Pasquale has watched leads of 5-0 and 8-2 evaporate in each game of a doubleheader against UIC. The Penguins split the two games with UIC, winning the second, and escaped with a series win.
But Pasquale said he is confident his young bullpen can shut down opposing batters.
“We’ve got some talented arms,” he said. “The just need to continue to believe and continue to get better.”
YSU’s dual starters, senior Aaron Swenson and junior Phil Klein, have been all the Penguins have asked of them.
The pair have a combined record of 7-0 and have given up 83 hits and 30 earned runs in 75 innings. Their strikeout numbers (a combined 78) versus walks (32) are impeccable.
But after the starters leave the game, there are no guarantees the replacement arms will hold a lead.
“They’re blue-collar kids,” Pasquale said. “And the more we send them out there, the better they’re going to be.”
Pasquale said by forcing his pitchers into pressure situation, which there have been plenty, he hopes the experience will help his team down the road.
As frustrating as it has been, Pasquale refuses to single anyone out, and continues to offer praise and positive reinforcement to his relievers.
“You’ve got to stay positive,” he said. “I said this on the bus the other day, but you can’t always dwell on what you did wrong. Let’s work on that, but focus on what we did right.”
He added, “When you think about what you didn’t do, well, now you’re thinking negatively. We try to be positive. I want a positive person on the mound.”
Hopefully, Pasquale said, that positive attitude can turn into some quality innings from his relievers.